For most homeowners, kitchens are the heart of the home, the hub of family life and a source of pride. Therefore, it’s not surprising that a kitchen remodel ranks highly on the home improvement projects list. A large portion of the kitchen remodelling budget can be recovered by the value it adds to your home. The ROI of a complete kitchen renovation is about 62% of the initial cost at a home resale. With this in mind, it won’t be difficult to say yes to your own kitchen remodelling project and here are several tips on how to do it successfully.
Initial considerations
Your plan should be detailed and comprehensive and take more time than the actual construction. The more carefully you plan, the higher the chances of hitting the home run with your final result. Study your existing kitchen and draw the plan with detailed and correct measurements.
Calculate the right distance of the island from the rest of the cabinets so there are wide walkways, make the cabinets, oven, refrigerator and microwave accessible to everyone and choose all the elements and fixtures before you start. And finally, put some money on the side so you can have some wiggle room if needed.
Appliances
Be realistic when it comes to appliances because it’s extremely easy to get carried away during planning. Appliances are your basic tool for cooking and storing food, and your remodelling is not about the tools but about functionality and practicality of the space. You should concentrate on the long-term, value-adding elements, such as cabinets and flooring, instead of fancy kitchen devices.
Footprint
The surest way to drive up your remodelling costs is to change your existing kitchen footprint, especially by moving the plumbing pipes and the electrical wires, and knocking down walls. Unforeseen problems are bound to raise their ugly head. If you can keep everything in the same place, including appliances, you’ll save a lot on reconstruction and demolitions costs.
If you insist on footprint changes, all cabinetry and appliances will have to be moved so you can access the walls, open them and put in new electrical circuits and plumbing. This is not a recommended DIY project, so consider calling experienced pros, as the guys behind Ryde Local Plumber, who will be quick to answer all your questions and address all your plumbing needs.
Knowing how demolitions and renovations can be stressful, do the remodelling in summer so you can move your kitchen outside and at least have your meals stress-free.
Lighting
Lighting is a universal designing tool and can make an enormous difference in any space, so use it cleverly in your new kitchen to make it lighter, brighter and seemingly bigger. Under-cabinet lights are a must as cabinets cast a shadow on the worktops below, so plan at least two lights for each work area. Pendant lights are great and very trendy to hang over the island and recessed lights function very well over sinks and prep areas.
Quality finishes
Go for high-end finishes and top quality of all the new things you’re installing, as your main priority should be durability and functionality. Choose the products with a long warranty and low maintenance. Spend a bit more money for solid-surface countertops, such as granite or quartzite countertops, and a beautiful backsplash, as they are generally easy to clean and very durable, so it’ll pay off in the long run. Polished, silver finishes never go out of fashion, so incorporate some chrome or nickel hardware, brackets and faucets, and you’ll add timeless elegance to the whole design.
Don’t forget to add more storage. There is almost never enough of it so make your cabinets go all the way up to the ceiling and you’ll have more room to store all your once-a-year items, plus you’ll never have to dust the cabinet tops. Also, to avoid having your design look boring, break the cabinetry up with some glass panels, open shelving and a wall-mounted wine rack. Adding air plants is also a lovely finishing touch.
After investing a large chunk of your money and time into remodeling your kitchen, you’ll be rewarded with a great sense of achievement and satisfaction. You’ll have your dream kitchen that is even more beautiful, functional and practical than before, and a place that is enjoyable to both work and live in.
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